


A Guide to Barely Surviving High School

by wyattnash



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: AU, F/F, F/M, M/M, Ships are going to change, Stonewall Prep
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-20
Updated: 2019-12-29
Packaged: 2021-02-16 01:06:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21499321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wyattnash/pseuds/wyattnash
Summary: A tale of one town with three vastly different high schools, with one central mystery tying them all together.Broke: High School RivalriesWoke: High Schools keeping deadly secrets.
Relationships: Betty Cooper/Sweet Pea, FP Jones II/Hermione Lodge, Jughead Jones/Veronica Lodge, Penelope Blossom/Hal Cooper
Comments: 9
Kudos: 25





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my new fic. Hopefully, you'll enjoy it even if your ship isn't featured yet. The ships in this first chapter are not my intended ships of the whole fic so if they aren't your cup of tea please don't write this fic off too quickly! and if they are, enjoy the ride anyway! Let me know what you think of this concept and if you'd like to see me continue with this idea. Thank you for reading x

This was not the life Alice had envisioned for herself and her children. She had spent years becoming the perfect homemaker, perfecting the illusion of having her shit together which was rarely ever the case for anyone, least of all her. Maybe Hal did her a favour that fateful summer when he suggested they separate. The girls had only been young then, and Alice wrongly assumed a divorce wouldn’t fuck them up too much at that age. Things were amicable at first, Hal allowed her to remain in the house his parents had so generously purchased for them as newlyweds, and Alice felt that the transitional period was something they both had needed. It changed when their working relationship no longer benefited from their personal connection. The bickering started in the office and would continue into the late hours of the evening until one-night Hal couldn’t take it any longer. He wrote her a cheque and sent her on her way. As a young woman, Alice had been too caught up in the commotion of marriage, the big day was enough to send her head spinning. She had been too young and too naïve, too trusting in the man she vowed to spend her forever with. The prenup had stripped her of anything outside of the good riddance money he’d thrown at her on the way out the door.

She found a home on the southside and made a quick buck bussing tables at Pop’s by day, and slinging drinks at the Whyte Wyrm at night. The trailer park was the last place she wanted to raise her children in, but she couldn’t afford much else. The girls stayed with her on alternate weekends, until Polly stopped coming altogether. There was no way to persuade her otherwise, and you’d best believe Alice tried every trick in the book. Betty never cancelled a visit and Alice’s deep insecurities had often pondered whether her youngest daughter only did so to keep her mother from the pain of losing both of them. This fear flickered in her mind each time Betty slung her duffle over her shoulder and set up camp in the living room of her trailer. It didn’t stop even when her teenaged mini-me decided to move in and leave Elm Street behind altogether. Polly still didn’t visit, but Betty stuck to her weekend agreements with Hal even now.

Betty shed her winter coat and slung it over the back of the armchair opposite where her mother was pretending to read the newspaper. “Please tell me you’re not screwing the sheriff.” She said as she moved past Alice and lazily flung herself down on her pull out.

Alice’s mouth dropped open in protest. “FP Jones? I wouldn’t touch that man with a ten-foot pole.”

Betty shook her head. “Former Sheriff.” She clarified, kicking her boots off with the use of her feet only. She was tired and didn’t want to move now that she was finally in out of the cold.

Alice laughed. “Oh, Keller.” She said, not answering the question. She finished doodling over the article her ex-husband had published before tossing it into the trash can.

“M- _om_.” Betty sang out, waiting for a response. She had heard the rumours, and it wasn’t entirely too far-fetched to be true.

Alice scoffed and left the room. “I’m still your mother, I don’t have to disclose who I spend my time with.”

“Do I have to call him daddy?” Betty teased, knowing Alice would hate the very idea of such a thing.

“Hey, if you want me to bring home dinner tonight-,” Alice threatened playfully as she disappeared into her bedroom and emerged again with a toothbrush in hand.

“Sweet Pea might swing by,” Betty commented as she ran her fingers through her messy blonde curls.

Alice rinsed her toothbrush under the spray of water coming from the kitchen tap. “I thought you broke up again.” She said with a confused expression upon her face. She really couldn’t keep up with the teenagers. They were constantly on and off, and at first Alice had been quite concerned, she worried about her daughter’s heart getting broken but as time went by she realised the ups and downs of young love was the natural course her child had to take, and Betty seemed less and less affected by each break up, and more interested in the making up. She secretly wondered if her daughter was growing to be as cynical as she was in the ways of love. That was something worth worrying about. Betty was far too young to give up on finding love, and Alice was the last person she wanted her youngest to look up to.

“No, we’re going good.” Betty called through from the other room. “We had a dumb fight that was all.”

_All_ of their fights were dumb.

But Alice wouldn’t dare utter that out loud.

She spat out her mouthful of toothpaste and wiped the back of her hand over her mouth. “Don’t forget it’s your father’s birthday this weekend. He’ll want you to be there.”

Alice couldn’t help but smile when her daughter’s groan was heard throughout the trailer. She never wanted her daughters to pick sides, but that didn’t mean she didn’t privately enjoy it when Betty preferred her company over her ex’s.

When she rounded the corner to the living room, Alice reached out to grab the same coat Betty had only just discarded. She shoved her arms into the sleeves as she similarly pushed her feet into her own boots.

“That’s mine,” Betty said without skipping a beat.

Alice pouted. “I know, but mine isn’t as warm.”

Betty waved her hand dismissively. “Fine, take it. But if you’re stopping by your boyfriend’s, take it off first.”

Alice rolled her eyes and knelt down to tie her laces. “He’s not my boyfriend.”

* * *

While the Southside was suffering under the cold snap, the students at Stonewall Prep were somewhat unaffected by the weather plaguing them outside.

Jughead Jones pushed the sleeves of his uniform up as far as they could go as he concentrated on his next move.

His tongue slipped out the side of his mouth as he released the light-weighted ping pong ball and awaited his fate. The game was simple really, toss a ball and hope for the best. He watched as it landed in one of the plastic cups, and his teammates cheered. He stepped forward and took hold of the alcoholic drink. He chugged it until his cup was empty, squeezing his hand until the cup cracked and excess beer leaked down his arm. He tossed it across the room in the hopes it would land in the trash can. It didn’t so he had to walk around to try it again. Moose was about to take his shot, and Jughead didn’t want to miss it so he hurried back, only just catching a glimpse of the two girls sharing a lingering touch. He shrugged it off and focused on his roommate’s drunken attempt to even the score.

Veronica Lodge turned toward the boy who was without his infamous beanie. She smiled and slipped a note into his pocket.

Jughead knew what a note from Veronica Lodge meant. There were rumours about such an exchange, but he had never been one to engage with rumours, nor had he ever witnessed a note, or had one in his presence. He was unsure why the girl would choose him of all people. Surely, she could have her pick of boys from their class, but alas the note burnt a hole in his pocket for the rest of the game. He didn’t dare slip his hand in until everyone dispersed in case, he accidentally dropped it, although his curiosity plagued him throughout the rest of his round. He won the game of course, but his head was distracted and that was something that wasn’t entirely unusual for him. He was always a thinker, always double, triple, quadruple checking every detail. He had only been seven when he witnessed his mother’s death, yet he spent every waking hour overthinking every single moment, wondering how he could have changed the outcome. Of course, he could never go back and fix it but even now, almost ten years later he still thought of it every so often.

He was alone when he dared to unfold the note. He had often admired Veronica’s endless supply of stationery, but her words were scrawled upon a page he had never seen before. It was purple, and her words were written with hearts atop of her I’s, and cursive so neat he wondered if it would someday become its own trademarked font. He read over her instructions before heading back to his room. Moose was already sprawled out on his bottom bunk, trousers unzipped, shirt unbuttoned and video game in hand.

Jughead’s hair was already quite dishevelled and his uniform looked everything but regulatory. He discarded his loosened tie and went to find his deodorant.

“Hot date?” Moose questioned without looking up.

“What?” Jughead asked, feeling himself growing warm around the collar.

“You just drowned yourself in aerosol.” Moose shrugged.

Jughead hadn’t even realised he had been spraying so vigorously. He had just been thinking about what Veronica’s intentions were. It’s not as if they were that friendly. They socialised in the same circle, but Jughead was mostly there as Moose’s tagalong. They grew up across the street from one another but were never the best of friends, and even now they only spent time together because they shared a room, and a bunk.

“I’m just going to the library.” Jughead lied. He unbuttoned his previously pressed shirt and went to change into a T-shirt instead. It was a Friday night and uniforms weren’t to be worn over the weekends.

“Didn’t it close an hour ago?” Moose asked suspiciously.

“You’ve literally never been to the library.” Jughead quipped as he finished changing.

Moose chuckled. They both knew Jughead wasn’t going to the library, he just didn’t know what the alternative was. He assumed it was something nerdy, but he always enjoyed riling the boy up anyway.

When Jughead was satisfied with his change in appearance, he grabbed the note from the pocket of his school pants and made sure he had read the details correctly. He felt like a bit of a sheep as he walked out of his room and down the corridors. He had never once in his life given in to conformity and yet there, he was walking to a girl’s room just because she told him to without knowing how many other boys had jumped at this same chance before him.

He nervously knocked upon her door when he found it and took a step back to mull over his thoughts. Did he want to do this? Probably. Should he? Probably not. Was he going to? He was about to find out.

“Forsythe Pendleton Jones III.” Veronica greeted, standing in the doorway. She was still wearing her uniform, tartan shirt hiked up a little higher than the regulation standard, but nobody seemed to care. He sure didn’t.

“Jughead.” He corrected like he always did whenever anyone referred to him by full name.

“Jughead.” She smiled, taking a step back to let him in.

He followed her into her dorm and immediately noticed the difference between hers and his own. Jughead shared with Moose, and on occasion a third boy. Veronica shared with nobody. Her bed was in the middle of the room, and unlike his own, it wasn’t a bunk. It looked almost like a bedroom you’d have in your home, your real non-boarding school home.

“I wasn’t sure you’d come,” Veronica admitted as she closed the door.

“Then why’d you invite me?” He asked her dryly.

“I wanted to find out.” She answered with a small smile.

He nodded his head and looked around the room once again.

“I used to have dormmates, but none of the girls liked sharing with me.” She said upon noticing his curious eyes scanning her room.

“I wish that worked for me. Moose farts in his sleep, in between conversations he has between him and his long-distance girlfriend. Of course, I can’t hear her side because it’s in his subconscious, so it’s not that entertaining for me.” He chuckled.

Veronica watched him curiously. She let out a soft laugh when he laughed, but she was mostly just fascinated with the boy. He wasn’t like any of her other classmates as it seemed he actually had a personality, something she found most of the boys in their school lacked.

“I have a proposition for you, Jughead.” She said as she went to sit upon the end of her bed.

He watched her, eyes determined to stay on her face, but he couldn’t help noticing the way her skirt fell off her the skin of her exposed thigh. “Oh?” He asked, pushing himself to keep his eyes upward.

“My lab partner dropped out, and since I noticed you don’t have one, I thought maybe we could partner up?” She suggested. “I promised I’m not one of those girls who makes the smart guys do all the work. You can look through my notes if you don’t believe me.” She smiled, hoping he would consider her offer.

“Oh!” He said, feeling silly. Of course, she didn’t invite him over for what his imagination had concocted. He wasn’t her type. He wasn’t anyone’s type. She just wanted someone to help her pass their biology course. “I’ll be your lab partner, and I don’t need to see your notes I already know you’re top of the class.” He smiled awkwardly.

“Are you okay?” She asked with a concerned frown. The boy was suddenly all jumpy and it wasn’t something you saw every day.

He ran his hand through his dark hair and smiled. “No, I’m all good.” He assured her.

“Oh, you thought I asked you here for something else?” She said, raising her eyebrow at him.

“No!” He said, clearly embarrassed by his confusion.

She smiled. He was cute when he was all bashful. The way his cheeks turned the slightest shade of pink made her want to giggle in delight, but she most certainly did not. She just smiled across at the boy. “You shouldn’t listen to rumours Forsythe.” She said as she stood up.

He nodded his head. She was right, he shouldn’t have assumed anything of the sort.

“People talk and I let them.” She said as she moved closer to him. “You know better than that. Don’t you?” She asked, watching him as she waited for an answer.

“Yeah. I know better than that.” He stumbled over his words as his cheeks grew warm once again. He really felt like a fool now.

“Good.” She whispered, reaching up to gently place her palm against his cheek. “Because I did ask you here for one more thing.” She whispered, swaying her body closer to his.

He could feel her breath on his neck, but he wasn’t entirely sure what to do. She was the most confusing girl he had ever encountered, and every part of him was screaming a different message.

Veronica soon realised she would sooner have to spell it out for him before he got the hint. She brushed her lips against his and waited for him to kiss her back. Her hand moved from his cheek to the back of his head as he dipped down for her.

The truth was she had only asked Jughead to her room to talk about their classes, but the boy seemed to be caught up in other things, distracting things. She wanted to make sure he didn’t leave without regret. She had a reputation, and she knew that. It was just hard when everyone already believed one thing about you, so she learnt to embrace it.

Jughead’s head was spinning by the time they made it to her mattress. He hadn’t kissed anyone in a long time. He hadn’t felt the overwhelming sensation every inch of his body was ever so warmly feeling. Her lips were softer than her skin, her hair felt like silk as he glided his fingers through it. Her hips were petite, and yet somehow fit against his perfectly. He wanted to keep kissing her until his lungs were on fire and he couldn’t breathe.

She was the one who made the move to unzip his jeans, and he was the one who hiked up her skirt to cup her near bare ass. He liked learning her body, he liked how new he was to her smell and the sound of her breaths. He had never once pictured Veronica Gomez like this before, but he had absolutely no complaints.

When her bra was discarded on the floor next to his shirt, his eyes were wide, and his hands were greedy. He wanted more of her, he wanted to explore every curve. This wasn’t how he had expected to spend his Friday night. It wasn’t how Veronica expected to spend hers either. She had merely sought out a biology partner, and instead, she had been given more than she had originally bargained for. She liked Jughead, she thought he was kind and smart and he was the funniest boy she knew. She just hadn’t expected his hands would ever end up dragging the fabric of her underwear down her thighs, or his teeth nibbling her earlobe to ever send shivers down her spine.

They skipped the ritual of a condom, which was a mistake on both of their parts. Veronica didn’t own any, and Jughead the virgin forgot to even ask. The two teens were too caught up in the moment to stop when they were ever so sexually charged up. Her head fell back when she felt her body consume him. A soft moan fell from her mouth as the boy wondered if he was doing it right. He was secretly glad she had taken the lead and as soon as her body moved in a way that made his head spin, he wasn’t so secretive about it.

She collapsed against his chest in the aftermath of their connection. Her body was soaring, but her mind was filled with confliction. She pressed a lazy kiss to his bare chest before rolling off of his body.

Jughead was still coming down from his high. He had never experienced something like that before, and he needed time to process it.

He had been in a daze for so long it startled him when Veronica threw his clothes at him from where she stood at the end of the bed.

“It’s late.” She said as she changed into a fresh set of pyjamas. She wasn’t kicking him out to be rude, she just knew there would be a bed check soon and if he wasn’t in his own room, or worse, he got caught naked in hers, it would spell out trouble for both of them.

He dressed quickly and rolled off the bed. “So, Biology…” He said shyly, smiling at her as he stood in front of the girl again.

“See you in class, partner.” She said to him sweetly.

He leaned down to kiss her cheek briefly, before heading to the door.

“Jughead.” She said before he could leave. “You won’t tell anyone will you?”

He shook his head. “No. I promise.”

* * *

If Polly had her way her younger sister wouldn’t have been given an invite to their father’s birthday barbecue. She knew that was selfish but a part of her didn’t care. Betty had abandoned their family. She was the one who moved out and changed everything, not her. Despite her loyalty toward their father Hal still saw Betty as his little girl, the golden child, over Polly who was the good one who never once left his side, and most definitely did not join a gang alongside her mother.

As Polly arranged and rearranged the place settings on the veranda, her sister arrived ready to give her a hand. Hal directed his youngest daughter to the backyard much to Polly’s displeasure.

“Where do you want me?” Betty asked her sister as she put her bag down and was willing to help her out.

“Preferably not here,” Polly told her with a mocking sincerity.

Betty rolled her eyes and decided to help set the table anyway. She didn’t mind that Polly went along after her and redid it all because at least she wasn’t standing still twiddling her thumbs the entire time.

“Girls, our guests have arrived,” Hal called out from the kitchen.

“Guests?” Betty asked, looking toward her sister. She had assumed the neighbours would come around like they always did. Fred, Archie and Mary usually let themselves in and came to help. Not this year apparently. When Betty went to see who their guests were, her heart stopped.

The quartet of redheads walking through her house made her regret her decision to attend this soiree.

“Betty, you know Cheryl, Jason and Julian.” Hal reintroduced. “And their mother Penelope, my fiancé.” He grinned, causing Betty to feel somewhat light-headed.

She was unaware that her father was even dating, let alone intending to marry anyone. She wasn’t upset for her mother’s sake, the two hadn’t been together in so long that Betty couldn’t even remember them as a couple. It wasn’t that. It was the fact that her father was going to force her to become family with the Blossom triplets. The three kids who bullied her throughout elementary school and tormented her during junior high. They were the reason she moved in with Alice, to begin with, to join a different school district where she changed her life forever.

“Betty, it’s been forever since I saw you last.” Cheryl greeted her.

Betty simply nodded. She forced a polite smile before offering their guests a drink. This was going to be the longest birthday barbeque the Cooper family ever had, and that included the time her mother got into a fight with her mother in law, and nobody was allowed to eat until they made up. _They still hadn’t_.

Polly and Cheryl soon disappeared upstairs together without so much of a glance at Betty. She didn’t mind so much the exclusion, it was the being left behind part that bothered her the most. She didn’t want to play hostess to the Blossoms, especially not to the one her father was hanging off like they were dogs in heat. She never said one bad word about any of their party guests, instead, she kept those thoughts to herself sparing a few which were sent to her boyfriend via text.

The fact that the two Blossom brothers were capable of lighting a barbecue and they both seemed to know how to chargrill was something that shocked Betty more than the surprise engagement announcement. As she sat on her father’s new set of deck chairs, sipping a beer as though it were lemonade on a hot day. She never particularly enjoyed the taste of beer, but it was the only alcoholic beverage available and she didn’t think she could survive this event without even the slightest of buzzes.

“Elizabeth!” A voice called out interrupting her thoughts. She didn’t know how many times her name had been called but judging by the annoyed look on her father’s face she realised it must have been quite a few.

“Sorry.” She said, moving to stand up.

“Penelope wanted to know when you’re free for a fitting,” Hal said, turning toward his fiancée with a smile.

Betty resisted the urge to gag right there and then. “Whenever.” She shrugged, looking directly at Penelope as she spoke. She was still miffed by the suggestion of the two adults exchanging nuptials at any point in time, and now it seemed the deluded pair expected her to be a part of the wedding party. Betty already felt as though she couldn’t compare to Polly or Cheryl in a high school hallway, being judged alongside them in a bridal party was the opposite of an appealing idea to her.

“I’ll pencil you in sometime next week,” Penelope said to the girl. She turned her head toward her husband to be and offered him a nausea-inducing smile which prompted the youngest Cooper to turn her head and bring her attention back to Sweet Pea who was the last connection to sanity she had left.

* * *

When Kevin Keller woke up Sunday morning the last thing, he expected to wake up to was the news of the merge. He read the article over a few times before he climbed out of bed and tiptoed his way through the trailer. It was hard to predict what kind of mood his father would be in after a night of nursing hard liquor in one hand, and his bottle of oxy in the other. Things were bad before they moved to the Southside, but lately, it had been getting a lot worse. All the rumours floating around weren’t even close to the truth. Kevin had done his best to deter anyone from finding out what a mess his life had become. He walked into the living room and dropped down next to his father, the former sheriff of Riverdale, formerly respected member of the community who laid there with vomit on his wife-beater, and the stench of stale beer soaked into the carpet was entirely unpleasant. “What have you done?” Kevin asked the man who was still fast asleep and far too out of it to hear or acknowledge him. Kevin left the drunken excuse of a father and walked outside into the cold. A fresh layer of snow blanketed as far as he could see. This was their first winter since everything fell apart and maybe it was the lack of central heating making him shiver or the feeling of isolation making everything feel harsher. He just knew it would be a miracle to survive the winter without at least one casualty in the Keller household, in their one-bedroom trailer.

It was Mary Andrews who broke the news in the Andrews’ household. She sat across from her son at the breakfast table sipping gingerly at her herbal tea. “Riverdale High is closing down.” She told her son as he caught his toast just as it popped out of the toaster.

“Because of the snow?” Archie asked.

Mary shook her head. “Closing down, not closed.” Mary clarified. “They’re going to start dividing students up between neighbouring schools.” She read off the news article on her phone.

“I’m going to a new school?” The boy asked in confusion.

“Not until the new year, but yes Archie you’re going to a new school.” She confirmed.

He picked up his phone to message his friends. This wasn’t going to go down well for any of them.

Alice drew back the sheet Betty used as a curtain to divide herself from the rest of the living room. “Guess who’s going to a new school,” Alice said to her daughter who was most definitely not ready to wake up.

“Don’t say you.” Betty groaned, hiding her face behind one of her pillows.

“Riverdale High is being shut down this January. Your sister is going to have a new school.” Alice told her.

This news was a cause of alarm for Betty who sat up immediately. “Who is going where? Don’t say they’re coming to Southside High.” She begged. That would be the worst possible outcome. Sure, they still had weeks until the new year but that was far too close for Betty. She liked her school the way it was, the teachers were chilled out, the students all tolerated each other, but that would all change if any Bulldogs stepped foot on campus.

“They haven’t decided yet. It might be down to address, or luck of the drawer.” Alice shrugged. “I wonder what your father thinks of this.” She chuckled, knowing Hal already hated the fact that Betty went to Southside High, the idea of both his daughters going to such an ‘ill-fitting school’ would rub him the wrong way, or the right way depending on who looked at it.

“Great. Just great.” Betty huffed, yanking her makeshift curtain closed in protest. _Happy Fucking New Year._

* * *

Moose jumped out of bed after a note was slipped underneath the door. He walked across the room and picked up the note scrawled on a piece of purple stationery.

Jughead adjusted his vision with the rub of his eyes. He sat upright upon spying the familiar coloured page. “Who is it for?” He asked, trying to act nonchalant to the best of his ability.

“Both of us,” Moose answered, not looking up from the note.

“What?” Jughead asked quizzically. He was quite puzzled by that after the last note he had received, and he really wasn’t into that kind of thing.

Moose walked over to their bunk and passed the note up to him.

_‘RVDH & SSH are merging. This is the last chance we’ll ever have of claiming victory over both schools. NYE is when it’s going down. This is war. We aren’t playing by the rules. This year we’re fighting dirty.’ _

Jughead read the words over a few times before he looked down at the other boy. “Does this mean-,” he asked, watching Moose’s expression change.

“I think so,” Moose answered with a small nod.

Jughead ran his stressed hands through his hair before dropping his head back down to his pillow. _Happy Fucking New Year indeed._


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “The Hunt. I am aware.” He nodded. “But there’s no reason why you can’t make it back in time for your little game.”
> 
> She shook her head and let out an amused chuckle. Of course, he didn’t get it. “It’s not a game. It’s much more than that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to those who read the first chapter! I wrote this update yesterday but my wifi was down and I've been eager to post it all day. Hopefully you enjoy x

“But Alice-,” Sweet Pea protested. He wasn’t one to sit down when told not to do something. It was one of his many endearing flaws. He crossed his arms over his chest, broad shoulders blocking the light hung over the pool table he was pressed against.

“I don’t care.” Alice shook her head, finger out to silence the headstrong teen in front of her. “The Ghoulies, the police, those are you enemies, not some cheerleaders and Northside brats.” She reminded him sternly. “Keep that anger for the football field, I don’t want you prancing around here threatening to start a war at your high school because you don’t like your new classmates. It’s beneath us. We have an honour code unless you’ve forgotten.”

Sweet Pea opened his mouth to say something before deciding against it. He knew she was right, but he still wanted her to be wrong. Every ounce of his being was itching to keep fighting her on this, but he knew it was a losing battle.

“Are we done with this now?” Alice asked him.

He nodded his head and relaxed his grip so he could drop his hands back down to his sides.

Alice turned her head upon hearing an echo of a solo applause. “Well done.” Penny said with a smirk. She stepped out of the shadows and approached the elder of the two women.

“Look what the cat dragged in.” Alice commented before she reached out to wrap an arm around the other woman.

Penny chuckled and ran her hand across Alice’s back in a friendly manner.

“My sister the Serpent Queen, never thought I’d see the day.” Penny said once the two women had ended their embrace.

Alice flicked the hair out of her face and dropped her hands to her hips. “And why not?” She asked, mocking offence.

Penny chuckled and gave her the once over. “Because you went all Northside on us.” She recalled, folding her arms across her own chest.

“That was a long time ago now. I’ve been back a while now Penny.” Alice pointed out.

Penny shrugged slightly, “Marry a Northsider, 7 years bad luck. You know the old saying.”

Alice let out a warm laugh. “The statute of limitations run out on my bad luck then?”

“Something like that.” Penny grinned.

Alice turned toward Sweet Pea and it clicked the boy was still there. “Penny, this is Sweet Pea, one of our younger serpents.” She introduced politely.

Penny nodded at him in greeting.

“Betty’s boyfriend.” He added with a smile.

Alice shrugged and let her sister know with her eyes that that particular title was used loosely. She did like the boy, but she couldn’t envision him being the love of her daughter’s life it just wasn’t something that was going to happen. She didn’t say that in front of either teen, but it was always in the back of her mind.

“Well that makes you more interesting than I first thought.” Penny laughed, giving him a once over now. She wanted to see exactly what her niece saw in the boy. It didn’t take a genius to fill in those blanks. It made her snicker to herself quietly. “Lucky girl.” She mumbled, flashing her older sister a smile.

“I was just about to get some lunch, you want to head out?” Alice asked the other woman.

“I thought you’d never ask.” Penny told her with a smile, following her sibling toward the door without so much as a goodbye glance thrown toward Sweet Pea.

* * *

Hermione Lodge was typically more careful than she was currently being. She never had a hair out of place, but jewellery was expensive and exquisite, and she always strived for perfection in both her work, and her personal life. Lately she had found a side of herself she always had deep down but never knew how to unlock.

“I need those.” She sighed out as another pile of documents hit the ground, pages flew across the room and she tried her best not to concentrate on the effort it would take to tidy up.

“Not now you don’t.” FP Jones whispered as he sat her back against her near empty desk.

Her hands roamed the back of his tan uniform as he reached down to unfasten his belt.

“We have to stop doing this here.” Hermione told him as she started to kiss his neck. Her lipstick was long gone by then, streaks of it still lingered on his beard, but they’d learnt from last time and she’d stopped applying reds and purples on days they’d be seeing each other.

“Thought it turned you on.” He breathed, dropping his pants down his thighs, his stance keeping them from falling down entirely.

Hermione sighed between kisses, her hands started to undo buttons. “People will talk, the Sheriff and the Mayor having secret meetings. Too risky.”

FP didn’t know why Hermione was so hellbent on keeping them a secret. It wasn’t like either one of them was still married. His wife passed away so long ago he thought he deserved to finally move on, and Hiram hadn’t shared her bed in years. He respected her wishes regardless, even if it meant he had to get creative with his excuses for the time being. “The thrill is kind of hot, don’t you think?” He asked as his hand snaked underneath the silk underlining of her pencil skirt.

She let out another soft sound, her breath hitching from anticipation. “So hot.” She breathed, wrapping her arms around his neck to keep him close as she kissed him.

He pulled her up by her thigh when he was ready, a smile forming on the lips he used to muffle the sound of her moans. 

* * *

Donna stood pressed against the hallway wall waiting to approach her intended target. As soon as she saw Veronica rounding the corner she moved to start walking in the same direction as the rest of the students headed to class. She slowed down just enough to fall into sync with the girl, acting as though this was an ever so casual occurrence.

“New lab partner, huh?” She said, keeping her eyes forward as she spoke.

Veronica swallowed the lump in her throat and adjusted the grip she had on her notebook. “Jughead is focused on the work.” She answered, keeping her voice steady.

Donna clicked her tongue. “Didn’t look too focused to me.” She accused, turning her head toward Veronica who looked just as uncomfortable as she had suspected. “I know what you’re doing and it’s not going to work.” She said knowingly.

Veronica shook her head and laughed it off. “I don’t know what you think you know, but I’m going to be late for my next class, so if you’ll excuse me…”

“Sleeping around isn’t going to make you feel better, V.” She told her, causing Veronica to stop in her tracks.

“Who the fuck, are you to tell me what I feel?” She snapped, causing a few surrounding students to turn around momentarily.

Donna stared back at her, somewhat startled by the outburst. She raised her hand in surrender. “Alright, I’m sorry.” She said softly. “I’m just trying to look out for you.” She insisted with sincerity in her tone and her eyes.

Veronica nodded her head, her metaphorical fangs retracted as she turned back to the direction she was headed. Her heart pounded so hard she was certain the whole school could hear it in her chest. She just wanted everything to stop. She wanted to stop feeling how she felt but it was too hard, her only outlet was sex and nobody, especially not _know-it-all_ _Donna_ was going to tell her how to handle herself.

The two girls continued walking side by side until they reached the end of their hallway. They each turned in opposite directions, neither looked back.

* * *

Toni Topaz sank down into the beanbag sat in the corner of the Fogarty living room. She wriggled until she was comfortable, not paying the other teenagers much attention as the conversed around her. Sweet Pea was still going on about the Bulldogs ‘invading’ their high school as if the students had any choice in the matter. Nobody expected Riverdale High to be shut down, least of all the residents of the Southside. It made no sense to anyone, if any school were to close everyone expected it to be theirs and yet it wasn’t.

“Babe.” Betty said three times before the tall loveable goof looked down at her and stopped talking. “I thought my mom told you to drop this.” She reminded him, reaching up to touch his face.

Fangs and Toni shared a glance, and Toni made a point of poking her tongue out at them. They were usually quite tame in the PDA department really, so it was all just in jest.

“I know but she’s not the one who has to sit in class with those clowns.” He complained, resting his hands on her dainty wrists. “They bug the hell outta be.” He reminded her in frustration.

Betty chuckled. “And I’m sure you bug the hell outta them too, ever think of that?” She asked, pushing herself up on the tips of her toes to place a kiss on the end of his nose.

“Listen to your girlfriend.” Fangs said as he plopped down on the sofa. He agreed with Sweet Pea for the most part, but it was getting to a point in the day where the boy literally hadn’t spoken about anything else all day and he was tired.

“And her mommy.” Joaquin said from inside the kitchen. He had been helping himself to an after-school snack, and Fangs hadn’t made a move to stop him, so he took that as encouragement. He knew his way around the fridge mostly because it was a fridge and he wasn’t a moron, but also because he used to spend most of his time in this very trailer back when he and Fangs were quite the item. That felt like forever ago now and he mostly raided the pantry to be a little shit.

Sweet Pea wrapped his arms around Betty, who had moved to stand in front of him. “Speaking of mommy, you know your aunt is back in town?” He asked, prompting Betty to look up at him.

“No, and way to bury the lead.” Betty snorted. She hadn’t seen much of her aunt when she was younger because Penny was only ten years older than she was. It was no surprise to anyone as to why Harold Cooper didn’t exactly have the warm and fuzzies at the thought of Penny Peabody spending time with his children. The woman was a bad influence as far as he could tell, which his former sister in law would laugh at considering she had gotten into law school by her own merit and didn’t need mommy and daddy’s money or business to give her a step ahead in life. She never liked the man and was thrilled at the idea of her sister leaving him in her dust, or the other way around depending on which way you looked at it.

“Who is your aunt anyway?” Fangs asked as he moved over to leave a space for Joaquin to sit beside him.

“Penny Peabody.” Toni answered before Betty even had a chance.

Fangs’ eyes widened. “Oh shit.” He said before letting out a slight chuckle. He had heard stories about the woman, a serpent legend back in her teens. She still ran with the gang on occasion, but spend most of her time in Greendale, or further out west so it was no wonder the connection was lost there.

“What, you think I can’t be related to two of the most badass women the serpents have ever known?” Betty asked him, taking some offence.

He shook his head, “No, I just didn’t realise Penny was related to your mom, they seem so different.”

“They are different.” She nodded, thinking she should probably head home soon. Her mother hadn’t texted her to come, but the part where her mother’s only sister had resurfaced was some kind of indication that she may be otherwise preoccupied.

“Come on I’ll walk you home.” Sweet Pea offered, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

* * *

Kevin yanked the plastic bag across the dirt path. It was heavier than he had anticipated when he had first decided to get rid of his father’s mountain of bottles and discarded cans. He struggled to find a way to carry to load comfortably so he kept switching hands as he walked across the trailer park. He still felt so out of place living amongst serpents, some of which still held grudges against his father for locking them or their loved ones up. He didn’t feel safe at night especially when his father’s guard was down the way it was now. He felt eyes on him every time he left the trailer, maybe people were actually watching, or it could be just his paranoia he wasn’t sure. Either way it made him feel even more alone than he already felt after everything had happened, and his life had changed forever.

“Oh, hey Kev.” Betty smiled as her and Sweet Pea stepped out from behind one of the trailers. They had taken a short cut on the way back to Alice’s.

Kevin tried to throw the bag into the trash before they picked up on what he was doing, but it was too late. Some of the bottles fell out on the journey between his hand and where they crashed down into the near empty trash bin.

Betty was too polite to say anything. It wasn’t her business what Kevin was doing but it was hard not to pick up on the fact that the only sound echoing out of the metal container was the sound glass bottles clanking together.

“See you around.” Kevin mumbled as he turned back toward his new home, hands pushed into his pockets as far as they would go, hoodie covering his head to give him the false sense of invisibility as he trekked across the dirt and ice once again.

Betty watched him for a moment longer before steering her boyfriend across the way. She felt bad for her former friend, a classmate she once looked forward to spending her time with. She wanted to check to see if he was alright, but she knew when to leave well enough alone around here.

She steered her boyfriend toward her own trailer and let them both inside.

* * *

Hiram Lodge settled down behind the desk of his office with a glass of whisky sitting in front of him. The day seemed longer than most despite daylight hours being significantly shorter. He heard a faint tap on his office door and pushed his seat backward so he could approach. “Come in.” He voiced before making it to the door. He had a feeling he knew who it would be.

Veronica opened the door and took a step inside the headmaster’s office. She promptly closed the head door and looked across at her father who had since moved to his bookcase. “You wanted to see me?” She asked, keeping her distance.

Hiram nodded his head as he ran his finger down the spine of one of his favourite novels. “Just wanted to check in with my one and only daughter.” He said, turning to face her.

“I’m fine dad.” She said, watching the man from across the room. She knew he didn’t have to commit to keeping her secret, but he did so to please her wishes of anonymity. Her experience as a student was one that mimicked ever other teenager who studied behind the walls of Stonewall. No one knew her last name wasn’t Gomez, not even Jughead whose father worked alongside her mother. Hermione had moved back to Riverdale after separating from Hiram just before Veronica was to start high school. The move was calculated and happened ever so swiftly. Hiram transferred from another boarding school independently of his daughter’s enrolment, and no one had made the connection in the two years she had been attending, and Veronica intended to keep it that way.

“I heard you had a little outburst in the hall between classes. Would I be a caring father if I didn’t at least check in on you?” He questioned, sitting back down at his desk. “I know you don’t want anyone to know I am your father, but that doesn’t mean I’ll stop being one.”

She shook her head. “That’s not why I don’t want people to know. I just wanted a normal life here. I want people to treat me like I’m one of them and not the principal’s daughter.” She explained. “I’m always your daughter, never my own person. I need this. It’s not about you, it’s about me.”

Hiram had heard those words before, and he believed her when she told them. He just also believed there was more to it than that. “I know Mija.” He said with a small smile. “And I respect your wishes.”

She nodded. “Thank you.” She said, running her hand up and down the inside of her arm. She felt a little off but it wasn’t something she wanted her father to become privy to. She deserved her privacy just as he deserved his. “The hallway incident was nothing, just Donna getting on my nerves, you know what it’s like…”

Hiram nodded but didn’t say anything.

“I would like to decline your offer of going home to New York for the holidays.” She said to him after a lingering silence fell over them.

Hiram let out a short sigh as he leaned backward. “I wasn’t aware you had a conflicting offer.”

“I don’t, but I want to be in town or close to it. There are important traditions to be upheld.” She said, watching the man carefully.

“ _The Hunt._ I am aware.” He nodded. “But there’s no reason why you can’t make it back in time for your little game.”

She shook her head and let out an amused chuckle. Of course, he didn’t get it. “It’s not a game. It’s much more than that.”

Hiram shook his head. She was right, he didn’t understand and probably never would. It wasn’t a tradition he was accustomed to and he couldn’t wrap his head around anyone who held it to any standard of importance. “Be careful, Veronica.”

She smiled. “I always am.”

* * *

Kevin’s plan was to walk in and out of Pop’s Chock Lit Shoppe as quickly and as painlessly as possible. All he needed to do was walk in, ask if his order was ready to take home and get the hell out of there. He knew he would run into a familiar face or two, but it was a Monday morning and he didn’t expect too many of his peers to be out and about socialising.

He stepped up to the counter and asked for his order, the waitress manning the counter told him to wait just a moment, so the boy stepped aside.

“Yo Keller!” Jason Blossom jeered from across the room.

Kevin told himself not to give in. He needed to use all of his willpower to keep his eyes forward. He could leave the building without any casualties if he just kept his eyes forward and sent a clear message that he wanted to be left alone.

A couple of whistles and yahoos made it harder for him to ignore.

“Kevin!” Jason taunted over and over until the boy finally turned to look at the table of jocks. He waved awkwardly and gave a small smile to avoid his naturally sour look from taking over his face.

“Hey, did you hear the news? You’re going to school with all your new neighbours, won’t that be fun?” Jason asked with a laugh.

“We’ll show those snakes who’s boss.” Julian laughed from the other side of the booth.

Kevin didn’t want to get caught up in the whole North v South debacle. He hated it to begin with but now he was living in amongst said snakes he felt like a target was on his back no matter which direction he turned. “Yeah I heard their football team sucks.” Kevin said, trying to please the boys.

Jason snickered. “Oh yeah, is that what you heard Keller?” He sneered. “Like father like son. Isn’t that what they say?”

It was only then, did Kevin realise Archie Andrews was sitting in that booth opposite the two Blossom boys. The third red head turned around to look at him and the two of them locked eyes for just a moment. He thought Archie was his friend, but friends wouldn’t sit there and listen without saying something. Would they?

“I don’t know what you heard about my dad but it’s not true Jason, if every rumour going around town was true then that would make you a product of incest wouldn’t it?” Kevin snapped. His order was placed in front of him, so he went to grab it in a hurry. He didn’t want to stand there and get berated by Jason Blossom any longer.

“What did you say to me?” Jason bellowed as he rose from his seat in anger.

Kevin moved briskly toward the exit to avoid the commotion that was sure to follow.

“Yeah that’s right, you better run you little fa-,” Julian started, before Archie punched him in the shoulder.

“Too far man.” He said, shaking his head. He felt bad for the guy even though Kevin’s dad had fucked things up for a lot of people. He didn’t deserve to take all the heat for something his parents had done and taking cheap shots at his sexuality wasn’t really helping the cause either.

“He your boyfriend or something?” Julian asked teasingly.

Archie rolled his eyes. “Shut up dude.”

“Andrews would tell us if he liked it up the ass wouldn’t ya?” Jason laughed as he sat down again. “Can’t keep a secret to save himself.” He continued laughing as if he had said anything worthy of praise. Archie picked up his force and ran it through his slice of pie. He needed to keep eating to avoid saying something he couldn’t take back. What he really wanted to do was ram his fork into Jason’s perfect catching hands, but he didn’t. He couldn’t stand up to Riverdale’s ‘golden boy’ nobody could.

* * *

Jughead sat back against Veronica’s desk chair. They were reading through their class notes together trying to fill out their homework questions together. It wasn’t technically group work, but they weren’t told they had to do all of it solo either. He read out their final question and flipped through his text book to find the chapter with the answers.

He looked up when he felt a set of petite hands rest upon his shoulders. “All of this talk of anatomy.” Veronica said as she squeezed his shoulders ever so slightly. “I bet I could teach you more than a book could.” She teased playfully, leaning down to press a kiss behind his ear.

A shiver ran down his spine. His mind flashed back to memories of the night before, he had thought for sure that it was a one-time thing, which made him jump into their work to push away any other thoughts. “We only have one more question to go.” He pointed out.

She smiled and slid her hands down the front of his chest. “Which means we’ve put in so much hard work already.”

He nodded. “We have.” He whispered, placing one of his hands upon hers. He wrapped his fingers around her wrist, thumb caressing her soft skin.

She pulled back and swung the chair around to face her. She lowered herself down to her knees and reached up to unzip his pants. “I had a good time the other night.” She told him as she encouraged him to lift his hips up.

“Me too.” He smiled. His heart was starting to race again. He had never felt so inexperienced until he started spending time with Veronica, it wasn’t like he’d never been with a girl before, he’d just never been with one naked until two nights ago.

She smiled. That was good. She liked making people feel good. It was the one thing that made her feel like she had some kind of control over her life. She could make people feel good which made her feel like she was doing something right.

He let out a shaky breath when he felt her hands on him. He closed his eyes to try and get lost in the feeling of her touch.

And hooked on the sensation her lips created.

* * *

It was before school the following morning when serpent students gathered in an empty classroom. Sweet Pea spread a map out across the desk in front of him. The others gathered around the desk and stared down at the photocopied page from an old history book. He had marked possible routes in a red marker, outlining a plan for their school’s course of action. The Hunt was taken very seriously by the Southside, and this year was going to be especially significant. With the merge taking place things would never be the same. Southside High would never again be able to experience the glory of defeating Riverdale High. This year Sweet Pea needed to claim the victory, and he didn’t care how they claimed it.

“Alright team, we’re throwing the rules out this year. The only rule is to win no matter the cost.” He addressed the room as though he was giving a pep talk to his football team.

“What do you mean no rules?” Betty asked, raising her eyebrows. “Don’t you think the other schools will outvote us and declare us cheaters?” She asked. It wasn’t like she was opposed to fighting dirty, she just didn’t want him to get his hopes up in case their battle plan ended up giving them the opposite to the glorious victory her boyfriend was envisioning.

“I mean do whatever it takes.” He said to her, looking between his girlfriend and the rest of his friends.

“I’ll get weapons.” Fangs offered, looking between the others to see if any of them objected to him taking that responsibility. When nobody disagreed, Fangs took that as a yes and made a note in his phone to do so.

“Weapons?” Betty asked, frown forming. She didn’t think they needed weapons. It was supposed to be a friendly rivalry not a new aged gang war. She had a sinking feeling about this but as it turned out no one else in the room shared her concerns.

It was going to end in a disaster, if not a blood bath.

She just really hoped her sister would decide to stay home that night. That’s the last thing their family needed to deal with right now.


	3. Chapter 3

Betty’s lips trailed ever so gently across her boyfriend’s chiseled jawline. All she wanted from him was some attention, but all he kept doing was ranting about the Riverdale High Bulldogs. It was driving her crazy and not in a good way. Her fingers tiptoed down the front of his shirt and just kept creeping lower and lower.

“I just don’t know what they’re thinking closing down a whole high school like that.” He complained, barely paying attention to what his girlfriend was trying to do.

Betty sighed and pulled her head back to see him better. “Are you serious right now?” She asked him in annoyance.

Sweet Pea looked at her and nodded. “I just don’t get it Betty. Things are great the way they are now.”

She sighed and pulled her hand back from his crotch. “Are you going to make out with me or are you going to talk about some strangers all afternoon?” She asked him crossly.

He looked at her before frowning in realization. “Babe I’m sorry.” He said, but he had a feeling it was too late for that.

“It’s fine.” She said half-heartedly before moving off of his lap so she could fix herself up. He wasn’t feeling it and that was exactly how she felt now. All he ever wanted to talk about since the news broke was how stupid the merge was going to be. She didn’t care about it nearly as much as he did. She wasn’t thrilled at the idea of her sister and her merry band of brats would likely start their next semester in her stomping ground. That was the worst way to start a new year, but she didn’t have anger boiling inside of her. She would just suck it up and get on with the school year. Sweet Pea just couldn’t let it go and it was affecting her more than it probably should.

* * *

Kevin spent most of his morning clearing empty bottles and old take our containers into a large trash bag. He didn’t love the fact that he had to spend his weekends tidying up after his father, but he didn’t want to live like this either. He sat down at the kitchen table in defeat after most of the job had been done. He pushed one last Pop’s bag into the trash and let out a sigh. He unknowingly revealed a pile of unopened envelopes, which of course piqued his interest somewhat. They were all addressed to his father, some had been forwarded on from their old Northside address. He opened the top of the pile, figuring his father wouldn’t mind so much given his current state.

After opening several envelopes, he moved into the living room with anger pulsing through his veins. “Dad! Did you know about this?” He demanded, waking the sleeping former sheriff.

Tom Keller let out grunts and groans as he rolled over away from the loud noises coming from his son’s vocal cords.

“Dad!” Kevin exclaimed as he threw the pile of bills at the man’s chest. “We have no money! You drank it all down the drain!”

Kevin sounded angry and he most definitely was. It just wasn’t the overwhelming emotion he was feeling. What defeated his anger was most definitely his fear. Things had changed drastically for their family in the last few months. They once had it all. Sheriff Keller and his son living in a nice two-story home in the Northside of town. They had friends. They had neighbours who respected them, and most of all they had the town on their side. Now they had next to nothing, and soon enough they wouldn’t even have food. Kevin was more than worried; he just couldn’t fathom the idea of them getting through this winter at this point.

Tom groaned and pushed the pages off of his body. “We’ll get through it. Always do.” He mumbled, offering no help at all.

Kevin wiped away the tears he didn’t realise were coming, and quickly left the room. It was as though his dad didn’t care. He didn’t care when he lost his job. He didn’t care when he lost their house. Kevin wondered if he would even care if he lost his son.

* * *

Nobody wanted to be on the end of a business call from the Sheriff least of all the leader of the Southside Serpents. Alice clicked her tongue in disapproval as Sheriff Jones stepped into the Whyte Wyrm and removed his hat.

She followed his movements in the opposite direction as though mirroring him from the other side of the bar until they met in the middle. “And what do I owe the displeasure of your company?” She asked, immediately raising her perfectly shaped eyebrows.

FP set his hat down on a nearby table as he gave Alice a friendly smile. “Just here to talk Alice.” He insisted, glancing past the blonde to where her younger sister stood tucked back in the shadows.

“Talk? Whatever about?” She feigned innocence. There was always going to be a distrust between sheriff and serpent. That’s how history remembered it, and how the future would always be. She folded her arms over her chest and waited for the man to answer her question. She wasn’t going to offer up anything to the law, specifically not to this particular sheriff.

“I’ve heard whispers.” He said, pulling back a chair so he could make himself comfortable. Alice didn’t do the same. She didn’t want him to feel welcome. This was her bar, and she made all the rules.

“Will you spit it out already? Some of us have day jobs Forsythe.” She complained.

“A gang war. Do you happen to know anything about that?” He questioned.

Alice pretended to mull it over before shaking her head. “No, I don’t suppose I do.”

“We’re on the same side Alice. I want to keep this town safe, and I know you do too. Let’s work together, keep the peace.” He said in an attempt to extend an olive branch. They may have their differences but at the heart of it all he hoped they could learn to respect one another.

Alice scrunched up her nose. “No, I don’t think so.” She said, dropping her arms from her sides. “If we were on the same side you wouldn’t even be here asking. Now grab your fugly hat and walk that flat ass of yours out of my bar before you learn just how different our sides are.” She told him; eyes narrowed as she spoke.

FP sighed and moved to his feet again. He didn’t know why Alice made everything so difficult all the time, and any chance of hope he once had in the woman helping him out just didn’t seem possible anymore.

He let himself out after looking around on his way toward the exit. He knew legally Alice could kick him out, but he also knew he could find several reasons as sheriff why he was allowed to stay if he really wanted to go around making enemies.

Alice kicked FP’s chair back in underneath the table and let out a frustrated groan. “That man.” She grumbled before walking back behind the bar.

“Who would have thought he’d turn out to be sheriff.” Penny chuckled as she helped herself to a drink.

“Sure as hell not me.” Alice said as she did the same.

* * *

Jughead’s fist hit the door of his dorm for the fifth time in a row. He jiggled the doorknob yet again before he was forced to give up his plight.

The door opened with force; Moose poked his head out around the door. “Dude.” He complained, running his fingers through his hair. “I’m a little busy, go and entertain yourself for a couple hours.”

Jughead glanced past him. “Oh, is this Midge’s weekend?” He realised, feeling bad for interrupting the big reunion. Moose’s girlfriend didn’t go to their school and whenever she came to visit Jughead was forced to remain scarce while they reconnected. He usually busied himself in the library but he had forgotten all about it this time around.

“Ya think?” Moose asked, shaking his head. “Now go away, before I take my frustration out on you.”

Jughead winced and took a few steps back. “I’ll leave you to it then…”

He quickly moved down the hallway to get as far away from his room as he could. The imagery crossing his mind really wasn’t all that pleasing to him and he had this overwhelming need to distract himself.

“Jughead?” Veronica said when she saw the boy headed down the same hallway she had only just turned down.

He looked up across at the girl and smiled. “Hey, what are you doing out here?” He asked casually as he moved over to her side of the hall.

Veronica crossed her arms over her chest, “just thought I’d take a walk and clear my head. You know?”

He nodded. “My roommate kicked me out.” He said with a crooked smile.

She glanced up at him in confusion, unsure if she should even ask.

“His girlfriend is visiting. It’s probably for the best since we share a bunk bed and all..”

She let out a throaty laugh. “See this is why everyone needs a private room.” She said, dropping her hands so she could reach out and caress his arm ever so subtly.

He watched as her fingers moved over his skin. It sent a slight shiver up his arm but he didn’t react in any other capacity. “Do you want to do something tonight?” He asked her, looking up to meet her eye.

“You know you never have to ask me that.” She whispered flirtatiously.

Jughead shook his head. “No, I meant like a movie or something.”

“Oh.” She said, “oh!” she didn’t know what to say. They weren’t dating and she didn’t want to be dating him. If they got their wires crossed somehow she really would feel like the biggest asshole. Jughead was a great guy, the greatest. She just didn’t want a relationship.

“As friends.” He added quickly, seeing how uncomfortable the very notion had made her.

“As friends.” She smiled, liking the sound of that.


End file.
